Rest for the Weary
by maximushyrule
Summary: war is declared on Hyrule and Link and Zelda's daughter is kidnapped. she then grows up to be Ganondorf's head assassin. after she kills Ganondorf, his assistant takes over and things get hectic. Alternate endings!
1. Merry Christmas

It was 2 years after the defeat of Ganondorf and Link and Queen Zelda had been Married for about a year. Hyrule had recovered from the king of Evil's oppression and grew to be a very prosperous nation. It was a beautiful snowy Christmas day. Everyone was enjoying the holiday.

The Hero of Time was nervous but happy. He was recently promoted to General of the Hylian Army and today, Christmas day, he was going to go on the wildest adventure of his life. He was going to be a father. He eagerly paced back and forth the palace lobby waiting for the news of their new arrival. But something felt odd and the hero couldn't pinpoint what it was. Minutes later, the sound of glass shattering and Zelda's screaming told him that she was in danger.

As soon as he heard the crash, he ran for their room. An alert was sounded and the guard's were sent to the protect the queen. Link knew that something wasn't right. When he got to their bedroom, he flung the door open and saw the man he hated more than anyone. The man who he believed was sealed away for an eternity. It was Ganondorf. His archenemy.

"How did you get out of the sacred realm!?" Link snarled.

"oh I have my ways, Hero." Ganon said with a small smile. "Let's just say, I had a little help." Ganondorf turned his hand to a green haired giant. "Presenting the new king of Termina, Shitsuya du Ikana."

Link drew his sword as the guards arrived . "No!" Zelda had tears in her eyes. "Link, he has our baby." she said cautiously.

"Give it back Ganondorf. It's just a child. Have a heart. Please." Link pleaded.

Ganondorf slowly held up a bundle wrapped in a blanket. "This little thing? Why should I? it's so cute and

cuddly why I could hold it all night." he said sarcastically. "Relax hero. Your child will live, but not with you. I have plans for it to help me take control of the world."

"Ganondorf! Please just give her back! It's a newborn. I beg of you." Zelda wept.

"Good day to you, hero. And you too your Highness. Shitsuya come." With that, Ganondorf and Shitsuya vanished. Instantly they appeared on horses in the courtyard.

Link's emotions ranged from rage to fear. He yelled at the guard's to open they gates and let them through. "At least she'll live." he thought. He turned to his wife and said, "I'm sorry. But I'll get her back. I promise." he walked over and put his arms around his wife who was now sobbing uncontrollably. "Tell me something, " he began. "I thought that all of the people of Ikana were long dead. How does this man have their last name?"

Zelda gathered herself together and told her husband about a book she had read once. "before the Ikana died, Igos du Ikana, the last king, sent his daughter away to Clocktown on an errand. She never came back and only sent one letter to him saying that she was happy in the new city."

"He's probably one of her descendants then. I have never heard of though. Do you know anything about him?"

"We've been receiving reports about an uprising in Clocktown. A few years ago, a gang took over the city and government. We sent help but Ganondorf took up most of our resources. Lately other places have been under attack, but when we receive word, it's too late." She told him.

"Thank you . I'll get her back… I promise." Link exited the door. As he began to walk down the hall, he heard his wife begin to sob. Outside their room, a nurse was waiting to attend to the queen.

He headed towards the servant's chamber. When he entered, he found 6 people working on various projects. He cleared his throat, "excuse me, could one of you repair the window in my wife's room? I don't want her to catch a cold." one of the carpenters stood up and said, 'yes, your highness'.

Link exited the room and was greeted by servants who gave him words of comfort and looks of sorrow. He thanked them for their kind words but continued to walk toward his destination. He went to the palace armory. He selected and paid for a broadsword and shield. He knew that he couldn't do this alone so he then went to the barracks but once again he had that strange feeling that he couldn't pinpoint.

Link spotted his Lieutenant General. He was tall, blond and quite muscular despite being very young. "Ah, General Meifferet, I will be departing shortly and I need you to take over the Army while I'm gone. It shouldn't be more than a few days. Will you be able to handle it?" He sensed concern in the man's face.

"Sir, I don't think that will be wise at the moment." he said slowly

"Why not? What's happened?" Link said, his worry rising.

"Termina has declared war upon us,. They attacked our eastern coast. and are coming this way. To leave now would be reckless to say the least."

"I have to! I must save my daughter. I won't let Ganondorf harm her." he Protested. "You are a skilled warrior, Lieutenant. You can handle this for a few days. You must. Just close off all cities and ports." Link said confidently. "oh, and I will be needing three of your best troops." Link's word didn't seem to make the Lieutenant feel any better so he added, "Don't worry, I will be back in a few days. I'll handle it then."

The lieutenant nodded in response. He walked away and returned minutes later with three big, heavily armed men. One had a Beard, one had a patch over his eye and the third one had a deep gash on his cheek. "Your Highness, we will follow your every order as well as protect you.." the bearded one said.

Link nodded and thanked the lieutenant. He turned to the soldier with the patch on his eye. "Gather supplies, we'll be leaving in one hour." the solider saluted and left to get their packs. Link turned to the soldier with the gash on his cheek, "Saddle up our horses. And please make sure that they're strong enough to ride through the snow."

"Yes, sir!" he said and left.

"I'll get her back." he thought to himself. "I'll get her back."


	2. One Life

After everyone returned from their assigned task, they departed. Link had an idea about Ganondorf's whereabouts. "they couldn't have gotten far. It's only been about two hours and they'll have to slow down with baby."

The soldier with a patch over his eye asked, "Where do you think the bastards could've gone?"

"Most likely the desert. Ganondorf's very familiar with it." after a while Link realized that he did not know the soldiers names so he told them. "I forget to get your names. What are they?"

The patched soldier pointed towards the bearded one he was a little older than the other two, "He's Vlad, I'm Tepes," he pointed towards the soldier with the gash on his face, "And he's Dracul. Vlad is very intelligent. He often uses logic over his muscles. he can talk his way out of a fight any day, but he can fight like a demon. Dracul is quiet but dangerous. He's the best fighter out of the three of us."

"and what about you?" Link asked, curious that the man had not given information about himself

"Those lad's call me the cruel one. They say I have no heart but I say they're a couple of sissies." both men smiled at the joke.

"I'll keep that in mind." Link said. By now, they had reached the forests. The fresh snow made it look beautiful in the low afternoon sun. The warriors had been following the fresh tracks from Ganondorf and Shitsuya's horses but the lightly falling snow was making it difficult. "Vlad, could you ride ahead and direct us to where the tracks lead? I want us to at least have a head start when the snow stops." the other troops took their cue to start finding shelter. Vlad left and returned moments later gasping for breath,

"Your majesty, I've found them! Their tracks lead to a cave just north of here." Vlad said, trying to catch his breath.

"What!? Take me to them. They will pay for what they've done." the young leader said.

They mounted their horses and rode off toward Vlad's previous location. When they arrived, they found two horses near the entrance to the cave. They dismounted and quietly crept towards the entrance. They could hear the faint sound of voices coming from inside. They slowly stepped closer and listened to the conversation. They could see their faces and lying between them was a small bundle wrapped in blankets .

"My troops should be pass this forest by now. They are very fast and will not have to set up camp because of the snow. They've been trained to endure it. " Shitsuya said. He had a thick mustache and very defined muscles. His voice was calm and strong.

"I'm glad that they won't need to rest. But the trip from Termina must have tired them a great deal. When do you think they will reach Hyrule City?" Ganondorf asked.

"It's a very large force and it will take a few hours now that they've probably destroyed most of this forest. " The ground began to rumble slightly and it woke the baby. "No one will survive this attack. Those Hylian's won't stand a chance."

"Remember our deal. I helped you conquer Termina, now you must help me conquer Hyrule." she opened her mouth and began to softly cry. Ganondorf continued. "and with that stupid hero out searching for us, he'll never know what happened to his home." her crying intensified. "You did send out sentries right? I want anyone they finds head on a pike."

"Yes, thirty heavily armed sentries are scouring this forest as we speak."

"How did you ever get 100,000 troops in one week?"

"I have my ways, " the giant said. "but 80,000 of them are my own." by now, the baby's crying was becoming unbearable so Shitsuya picked her up. "Why did we steal this child any way?"

"I have plans for her to make me proud and her father ashamed." Ganondorf produced a bottle from one of his pockets. "Give this to the little brat." he held up a bottle of milk and received a suspicious look from Shitsuya. "when we made a stop at the ranch, a friend of mine gave it to me." Shitsuya fed her from the bottle. "Lets go, I have Hylians to enslave." Ganondorf walked over to his pack.

Vlad took Link out of the cave. "I have to get in there! I won't let her stay with those beasts!" Link said.

"Are you deaf? Did you not feel the ground tremble? 100,000 soliders are coming towards the city and we have no defense set up!"

"General Meiffert can handle that! My daughters life is on the line! I won't let her stay with them any longer!." Link told him.

"True. General Meiffert is talented but an attack on this scale would be difficult for the best general. Hyrule needs you. Think of how many will die if you stay here." he could see that the young man was considering his words so he continued. "Think of your wife. Would she really want you to save one person instead of thousands? Even if it's your daughter?" he could see the guilt and shame in Link's face.

"She's my daughter." Link said, his voice was cracking.

"It's one life."

Link looked back into the cave. Ganondorf was collecting his pack. "Let's go," Link said . A lump was building up in his throat. They mounted their horses and rode back towards the others.

When they entered the camp, they found a grisly site. the heads of their comrades were on pikes. Both men were disgusted at what they found. Beside their severed bodies were the bodies of 16 other men. 5 of them were badly mutilated. They had no time to bury the men and they rode on to Hyrule castle. "One Life," Link thought to himself." One Life,"


	3. Battle at Dawn

The falling snow had significantly slowed their progress but they still rode on. After a five hours of riding through blinding snow, they reached the city limits. They followed the trail to reach the city's gates and alerted the guards of the oncoming attack force. "Help them prepare. I need to gather our troops for defense." the young hero said before he rode off.

Link dismounted his horse and headed straight for the barracks. Inside he found Lieutenant General Meiffert conversing with his subordinates over war tactics. " Lieutenant, this city is in grave danger. We need to fortify our walls and prepare to defend Hyrule. We need every troop available to help in the effort." Link said interrupting the conversation.

"Yes your highness, we were discussing that right now." the lieutenant general said.

"Lieutenant, I think that we need to speak in private. Excuse us gentlemen." Link led them away from the lower leaders. "Lieutenant, there are 100,000 men coming after us as we speak. They slowed but they should be here by morning. Gather up every man available and have him defend the city." Link turned his head. "The Termians intend to destroy Hyrule."

"Sir, that can't be. 100,000? That's 3 times what we have. And the Termians are near the Hylian Sea. They couldn't have come that far in such a short time. It's just not possible." the lieutenant told him.

"When was the last time you received word from anyone stationed at the sea?"

"Just today, after... Well… A messenger arrived with a report of an attack. But, I remember something wasn't right about that message." the lieutenant reached into his pocket and retrieved the note. He read aloud. "_They are like a swarm. They keep coming at us with such number that it is frightening. We desperately need reinforcements. We cannot hold on much longer. They are not men, they are animals._"

" See lieutenant? The sea has some of the best security. We need to fortify this place now. I want the city's gates closed off and 8,000 archers placed around top of the gate. Place the rest of our troops behind the gate. I also want everyone evacuated to Kakariko. It'll take all night, but I think we can do it."

"yes, Sire. I will see that your plans are carried out." the lieutenant bowed then left.

Link's next stop was the palace. He went to the room that he and his wife shared and found her sleeping. Two nurses had been keeping an eye on her. He dismissed them and gently shook her shoulder. "Link! Is she back? You have her? Where is she? I want to hold her." Zelda said, but much to her surprise, he held no infant "What's going on? Is something the matter? What happened?" Zelda was becoming worried.

Link looked in to her eyes and said, "I had to leave her. Ganondorf and Shitsuya have an entire army coming towards Hyrule. If I would have stayed, we would have been ambushed." he held her hand. "I couldn't lose you. I couldn't let those people die. I had to leave."

Tearfully, Zelda replied. "I understand. The lives of many outweigh the life of one." she held back a sob. "How many men do you think he has?"

"100,000. Now pack your things. I have ordered the evacuation of the city. I want you to be the first one out."

"No. These are my people, I won't leave until everyone else has left. " she told him. It was just like Zelda to care more about her people than her self.

"Fine but as soon as the last person is out, your gone. I don't want to take any chances." he kissed her and turned to leave.

Right before he left, Zelda called out to him. "Link," Zelda began. "she had silver eyes." he nodded and left.

Upon exiting the room, Link noticed that everyone was packing their belongings and preparing to leave. General Meiffert had successfully carried out Link's orders. He then returned to the barracks to inform his troops of what was going to happen. "alright men, they're coming from the South. So we need catapults and archers concentrated there. I also want a battalion to the East to ensure the safety of the evacuees. " they answered with a collective "Yes, Sir!" then left to take their positions.

The few hours consisted of Link and Zelda giving orders and assisting in helping everyone leave. Miraculously, they evacuated the entire city in only 4 hours. Link returned to the palace. He found Zelda in their bedroom packing some small items. "Come, let's go." he said and led her out of their quarters. When they got outside, it was dark. Link lit a torch he found and led her to a carriage he had arranged for her. "I'll lead you out of the city. There will be a small force ready to take you to Kakariko." Link gave her a hug.

"I wish that you could come with me. I'll be very lonely without you." she gave him a kiss.

Link mounted a new horse that had been left for him and led the carriage to the city limits. He said goodbye and told her that he would return safely. She responded with a tearful goodbye. Today was turning out to be the worst day of her life.

Link rode back into the city and went to the southern gate. There, he found that all of the city's troops were in position. He was directed by an officer to a tent that contained Lieutenant General Meiffert. "Lieutenant, I'm proud that you carried out my plans so effectively." Link said.

It was now nearly dawn and the ground began to shake. "They're here." Link said aloud. Both men ran out and shouted orders. Link told the archers to ready their bows while Meiffert instructed the catapults to light their charges aflame.

Moments later, everything went silent. Only the sound of one pair of footsteps was heard. It was their commander. "Something's not right." The soldier said.

Link knew they had their guard down. "Now!" He screamed. The archers let their arrows fly. The catapults sent their charges over the wall.

They hit the entire front line. Chaos ensued at once. Shitsuya's army began to launch an assault on the wall. They hacked and slashed at it but it was too strong. Link's troops reloaded. The commander screamed at his troops to make a battering ram. The men on the sides did as they were told and proceeded to cut down a large tree.

"Now!" Link yelled again and as before, thousands of arrows rained down on their enemy. They had hit the soldiers assigned to construct the battering ram. This pattern continued until they had killed at least half their force.

Lieutenant General Meiffert was behind the wall with the infantry. They were prepared to strike on his command. "Attack!" he shouted. They gates flung open and the Hylian army rushed out. They moved through the bodies and attacked their enemy. The archers backed them up and shot a great deal of enemy troops. Finally after hours of fighting, Shitsuya's men were forced to retreat.

"I don't know how, but we did it." Meiffert said.

"Yes we did." Link said with a sigh. "Now we have to bring everyone back from Kakariko. We better get started."

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Wow this is a really long chapter. The next chapter is going to develop the story more.


	4. Sealed Fates

After all the citizens had returned, one particular noble family decided to get away from it all and go on vacation to the beach. They took with them their 2 year old son. For days, the family sat on the beach, swam in the sea and just enjoyed themselves, but because of the attacks, guards regularly patrolled the area.

One night, as the mother was preparing dinner, the door to their cottage was kicked down. She screamed at the unexpected noise. Meanwhile, the father and son were on the beach collecting shells to present to the woman of the house. Upon hearing the scream come from the house, the father grabbed his son and ran to see what the commotion was.

When he reached the door, he told his young son to stay outside and be quiet. Thankfully the boy obeyed and the father carefully entered. Little did he know, seven of Shitsuya's stragglers were in the cottage waiting to kill anyone who so much as happened to wander in. the father reached the kitchen and was instantly knocked down. Hands grabbed him and ropes found his wrists.

"Who are you!?" the father demanded.

"We are of Termina's army and you are tonight's entertainment." One man said with a humorless grin. The father looked around the room. "Your wife didn't last very long I'm afraid. But not to worry, you'll meet her soon enough." he said.

The men proceeded to pummel him. They tortured him and left him for dead. His father's screams struck fear in the toddler. He hid in a small sand dune and cried softly. Finally, he could take it no more and ran in to see his father. The sight of his mother lying dead on the floor and his father badly beaten lead the boy to cry in sorrow.

Later, as a few Hylian troops were making their rounds, the sound of the boy crying and the moans of pain from the house alerted them that something was amiss. They unsheathed their swords and carefully entered the house. They searched each of the rooms. And when they entered the kitchen, they found the boy and his dying father. They began to untie the ropes that bound him.

"Who did this?" the leader of the Hylians asked.

"They were from Termina." he said with difficulty. "Addryan, my son… keep him safe." he said then died.

"Daddy!" Addryan yelled and ran over to his father.

"I'm sorry," the commander said, "but your daddy's gone." he put his hand around the sobbing boys shoulder.

"They're both gone. What do we do about the kid, sir?" one of his men asked.

"We'll take him with us for now, then when we get to Hyrule city we'll see if he has any family to take him in."

"That poor boy," the soldier said quietly. They exited the house and left for Hyrule City.

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Ganondorf and Shitsuya had just arrived in Termina and were headed to the castle that they had built there. When they reached the great doors that led inside, they were greeted by a combination of human troops and Ganondorf's minions.

They walked into Shitsuya's quarters and set the baby down. Ganondorf took a seat in a nearby chair while Shitsuya poured a drink. "What do we call this little brat, anyway? I don't understand why you want her to assassinate him, we have plenty of skilled warriors to do the job." Shitsuya said.

"I told you before, I want her kill everyone close to him then I want her to bring me his head." Ganondorf said.

"You do know that it will take years for her to grow up and learn the techniques to do that, right?"

"I'm willing to wait. And besides, we have plenty of other lands to conquer for the time being." Ganondorf replied with a smile. "Now as for a name," he began. "I want something that's unexpected and doesn't give away the fact the she's female. I want her father to feel a pain so devastating that it hurts him worse than her weapons slicing through his flesh."

Shitsuya walked over to Ganondorf with their drinks. "I think I have the perfect name." he said. "There was once an Ikana warrior who defeated every enemy he ever came across. They said that he was better than the Four Giants themselves." Shitsuya took a seat. "His name was Maximus."

"I like the sound of it. Maximus it is then." Ganondorf stared him in the eye. "She is your responsibility. You are to raise her as your daughter. If anything happens to her and my plans are ruined, I will personally execute you. Do I make myself clear?" Maximus started to cry.

"Yes. Quite."


	5. Friendly Neighborhood Assassin

Years had passed since the day that Link and Zelda's daughter was kidnapped and the war still raged. Link and Zelda had two sons but never stopped the search for the daughter. Periodically, Ganondorf would send a message saying that they would hear from her soon. Recently though, a lot of attempts on people's lives had been made. This caused worry among the higher classes and nobility. Worry that was justified. The would be assassin never missed a target and a note with the words, 'Compliments of your friendly neighborhood assassin' or something along those lines would always be found with the body.

Zelda placed royal guards at every assembly and whenever there was a large group of people. Despite the increased security, the assassin still hit his mark.

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Maximus was now 15 and despite being beaten weekly and frequently being deprived of food, she managed to grow to 6 feet. Maximus had pale silver blond hair and eyes and bared a mild resemblance to both of her parents and was punished by Ganondorf because of it. The reason he gave her was that he was helping her stay away from the evil ways of her parents who abandoned her as an infant. These beating led her to hate her biological parents and Ganondorf. She did learn compassion from the man she considered to be her true father, Shitsuya. He treated as if she was a person and gave her hope that she would one day escape Ganondorf.

From the time that she could stand, she had assassin skills beaten into her. They became a second nature and she could use them at will. Maximus hated the way that she was instructed. She hated the burns, stabs, choke holds, and pressure points techniques applied on her. A man named Jaffar would demonstrate the technique on her then she would perform it on s live prisoner. Maximus was also taught stealth techniques. Those were the easiest of all. She was taught to never show pain and to always complete every mission, even if it cost her life.

She strangled and killed her first man at age 6. She remembered everything about it. Getting the fool to believe that she wanted to play a game with him, telling him that the guitar string was a necklace, asking him to demonstrate how high he could jump, then tying the string to a low chandelier while he was in the air. In the end, it was his own weight and stupidity that killed him, the string only tightened when he pulled at it and he believed that a child would do him no harm. Yes, the Happy Mask Salesman was a fool indeed.

Today she was in Hyrule Market. She memorized every nook and cranny in Hyrule and was deployed their on most of her missions. Her task was to kill their agricultural specialist, thereby lowering Hyrule's ability to make food. He was scheduled to appear in two hours so Maximus was shopping to waste time. She came to a comic stand. She reached for her favorite comic, '_Future Space Adventures'._

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Addryan's ocean blue hair stood out in a crowd of mostly brown haired people. He was now 17 and due to a lack of family members willing to take him in, he was adopted and employed by the Hylian Royal guards.

He began as a sword polisher and after seeing his skill with a blade, he was formerly taught to use one the king and queen's guards themselves. After taking him on a hunting trip, the guards noticed that he had remarkable talent when it came to stealth. From then on, they trained in the art of assassination and he was their best yet.

Today, he was at the Market enjoying a day off . He walked up to a comic stand and reached for his favorite comic, '_Future Space Adventures' _. His hand touched another and he looked up. It was a girl as tall as he was with pale silvery hair and eyes. He handed her the comic and grabbed another. "Another fan?" he asked

"Yeah," she said with a smile.

"There aren't many comic book lovers out there, it's always nice to find someone else though. What other comics do you like?" he asked. She really reminded him of someone.

"I like 'Plumber Guy', 'Portable Monster Friends', and 'The Tale of a Princess'" she told him.

"You like 'Tales of a Princess!?' I love 'Tales of a Princess!' " she was really interesting. "Hey, do you want to hang out today? I'd really like to get to know you."

"I don't see why not. But I have to leave in a few hours. I'm here on a business trip." she said.

"That's fine. I was just going to listen to a boring speech about agriculture anyway, but we need it so, I guess it's ok." they paid for their comics and Addryan led them to a small park. They took a seat on the grass and talked for two hours about comic books, and their favorite characters and issues.

"Well I must be going, but it was nice meeting you. Maybe we could meet up again." she said. "Oh, my name's Maximus, I didn't get yours." she remembered.

"It's Addryan. Nice meeting you." he said with a smile. Maximus walked away. "What a strange name for a girl," he thought. Her name prompted him to remember another Maximus. An assassin and a deadly one at that. He heard stories that claimed the assassin could sever a mans head without him realizing, and that he wasn't a real person but death itself. It obviously wasn't the same Maximus of course, the one he had met was female.

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After leaving Addryan, Maximus went back to the marketplace. A crowd was gathering around a stage. She could make out the faces of the king and queen as well as Addryan's. She walked around the back of a tall building and using the windowsills as platforms, she climbed to the roof. She had previously hid a bow, a quiver of arrows, a pen and paper there.

She waited for the Agricultural Specialist begin his speech. As he began talking, Maximus took out the pen and paper and began to compose a letter. 'Compliments of your friendly neighborhood assassin' she wrote and impaled the note on the end of an arrow.

She took aim for the man's throat. She drew the arrow and string back, waited until he exhaled, and released. It darted through the man's throat. He remained standing for a second, then he collapsed on the podium. Before anyone realized what had happened, the Agricultural specialist was dead.

Pandemonium broke out. Everyone screamed and ran for their lives. The king and queen were taken away. Maximus climbed down and dumped her bow and arrow in a nearby bush. She used back alleys to get to the forest where her attendant was waiting for her. "Your father requests an audience with you. He said that it was urgent." he said.

"Alright. Let's go."

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A/N if you want meet to add a chapter from their childhood, I'll do a flash back.


	6. It's Just Beginning

After arriving at the palace in Termina, Maximus headed to Shitsuya's quarters. He was in his study waiting for her. When she walked in, she saw him in a chair with a cold expression on his face holding a glass of wine. She took a seat.

"I've been demoted." Shitsuya said, he took a sip. "He took control of Termina away from me. He's gone too far." he looked at Maximus. "The date of your freedom has been moved to a closer date."

She knew what he was referring to. Ever since she was a child, Shitsuya had devised a plan for Maximus to kill Ganondorf and for him to gain control of all the countries that they had conquered. It had no flaw, but with Shitsuya's change in position, things would have to be reworked a bit.

"When?" she asked.

"Soon. Very soon." he responded. Changing the subject he began, "You've been assigned to complete a big mission. You will have to employ a range of skills to finish it."

"How big of a mission?" Maximus asked.

"You are to kill a sage named Impa. She's a good friend of the king and queen. he's a very formidable target. You will need to be very cautious and travel to her home in Kakariko and assassinate her. You leave tomorrow morning and will arrive in Hyrule at 9 AM. She is to be dead by 6 PM, and you are to be back by 8. Their will also be a meeting in the war room at 3 o'clock. You have one chance at this mission. Do not fail."

"Do I ever?" she said with a smirk.

Shitsuya was still furious and didn't smile at her joke. "When you get back, go to the war room and get briefed on what happened during the meeting that's scheduled during your mission."

"Aye, Aye, Captain." Maximus Left.

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The assassin had gotten bolder. This Maximus guy had just killed a person in front of crowd containing young children and royalty. They knew that it had to be Maximus because any other assassin would have shy'd away from such a daring task. That is, anyone except Addryan. He was now in the war room with his commanding officers. That Maximus guy really knew how to shake things up.

"This is how we are going to win this war." General Meiffert began. "There is going to be a meeting between Termina's generals and officers tomorrow. One of our spies has informed us that they are all going to be in their war room at 3 o'clock. It will be outside so escape should be easy. Kill as many as you can and try to destroy any of their plans. You must be back by 9 o'clock. We're counting on you to complete this mission."

"I won't disappoint you." Addryan said.

The next morning, he got a horse, a cloak and departed. It began to rain lightly. As he was riding through Hyrule field, he noticed another rider. As they approached, he recognized who it was. It started to pour.

"Maximus! How nice to see you. Are you here on business again?" Addryan asked.

"Yeah, I'm meeting a friend in Kakariko this time. But I don't have to be there for a while. Want to hang out?" She asked.

"Yeah ok, but could we get out of this rain?" he replied with a laugh. They ran toward a tree and sat under it. As before, the talked of comics. The entire time, Addryan was thinking about how beautiful she was, and how she enjoyed the same things that he did, something that was rare for anyone. He really liked her, despite only meeting her the day before. He felt as if he knew her his entire life.

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As Maximus talked to Addryan, she thought about how handsome he was. The commanders in Termina's army were the only other men she knew and they were either old, hideous, or both. Another thing about Addryan, was that he wasn't intimidated by the fact that she enjoyed the same things that he did.

It started raining even harder. He noticed her shivering. "It's kinda cold, huh? You can take my cloak." Addryan said.

"thanks." Maximus said with a smile. As she took his cloak, their hands met and she giggled. "I've never felt this way before," she thought. "I like him."

They watched the rain for a bit, then talked for a while. She stared into his eyes then quickly turned away. His hand caught hers and their lips found each other for a moment.

They both blushed at what happened. The rain was clearing up. It was silent again. After a while, Addryan spoke up. "I kind of liked that. I mean… I'm sorry…I mean, I've never kissed anyone before…I mean…" he was blushing.

"I like that too…" they kissed again and she handed him his cloak. They both gathered their things and mounted their horses. They said goodbye and rode off towards their destination.

---------------------------------------------------------

Addryan was feeling giddy after the events of this morning. He reached Termina and snuck into Ganondorf's militaristic headquarters. In one tent, he found a uniform and a hat as well as lighter fluid. The rain had started again, and it was pouring. He put on the uniform and used the hat to hide his ears. He grabbed the lighter fluid and thought that he could find a use for it.

It was 2:45. He walked out of the tent and greeted some of the officers as they went by. He assumed that they thought that he was new. After they had all entered the tent, he spread some of the lighter fluid around and on top of the tent. The rain masked the sound. About an hour later, the rain stopped and Addryan found a torch. He spread the remainder of the lighter fluid around just to make sure and leaned the torch next to the tent. The rain had spread the fluid all around the tent and the flames had turned into a raging inferno. Seconds later, the men inside the tent were screaming for their lives and Addryan was no where in site.

"Another mission accomplished." he said then rode off towards Hyrule.

--------------------------------------------------

It was 5:00 and Maximus was outside Impa's home. She had stuck to the shadows and snuck into the village. The sage had entered moments before and was unaware of the danger that was outside her door. Maximus walked around to the back of the house and climbed in through a high window. There was a platform that concealed her so all she had to worry about was keeping quiet.

She had decided early on the that she would leave a gruesome scene to hurt the king and queen. Her sword and daggers were at her sides and she could grab them whenever she wanted. She prepared the surprise the woman when a knock came at the door. "Damn!" she thought. This was really going to make things complicated. She decided to wait a while. If it came down to it, she could always waste them both.

The sage answered the door. It was another sage named Darunia. Impa kindly greeted him and the sat down. They talked about idle things while Maximus came up with a new plan. She exited the house and went back to her horse. She grabbed one of her most prized possessions, her guitar. She had used it on many occasions to hurt people as well as to entertain guests. She went back to the house but this time, she went to the front door.

She knocked on it and Impa answered, Darunia was behind her. "Hello miss, I am a traveler seeking to enhance my music abilities. Please allow me to play you a song. Any comments about it are helpful."

She began to play a slow intro then paused for a second then played at a very fast tempo using what seemed the entire guitar. She also sang of people making a difference in the world. The tune was quite catchy and Darunia seemed to enjoy it. After she was done, she received an applause. It was time for her to start her plan. "Miss, may I speak with you in private?" she turned to Darunia "I mean no offense but this is more of a female matter." he nodded and the went in.

From the time she opened the door, Impa had seemed to be transfixed on Maximus' hair and eyes. She offered her a seat. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Some friends of yours. The king and queen, what are they like?" Maximus said.

"Like you, Maximus." she said. Quietly.

"That's not my name. I'm not from here." Maximus replied uneasily.

"You can't hide the truth from me. I know who you are. I was there when you were born. I remember your silver eyes and hair. You're the only one who has them." Impa offered her a snack. Maximus refused. "Now why are you doing these things? Do you know how much it would hurt your parents if they found out?"

Maximus was taken aback by her statement. "It wouldn't hurt them. They weren't hurt when they abandoned me. They've proven that they don't care. That was established when they gave me life." she replied bitterly.

"That's not true." Impa began. "Your family loves you. They still do. If you come to the palace with me, I'll prove it." she gave Maximus a long look. "Don't believe anything that they tell you. They wouldn't hurt you if they spoke the truth. Believe me."

Maximus was sick of this woman lies. "I believe you..." they both stood up. Impa walked towards her room. Maximus slid a knife out from under her sleeve. She followed Impa to the back.

"I want to show you something." Impa turned to pick up a pictograph. Maximus' knife reached her throat while her other hand covered Impa's mouth. The sage was incapable of speaking.

"Listen you old witch." Maximus began. "I hate Ganondorf's guts, but Shitsuya is the best parent you could ever have. He's been an entire family to me. He's never lied to or hurt me." the sage struggled. Maximus' knife cut through the sages throat. She fell down while she tried to stop the bleeding. Maximus kicked her in the head and unsheathed her sword. She ran her through. Multiple times. And finally decapitated her.

She sheathed her weapons and ran outside. "Mr.! Mr.! something's wrong with the lady!" she said as though she was worried. Darunia rushed in. once again, Maximus unsheathed her sword and with all of her strength, she ran Darunia through. His tough back was hard to get through but it gave way. Like the other sage, he struggled at the sudden act of aggression but her blade was in too deep too fast. She released it from his body and cut one of his arms off. She slit his throat and walked in to the living room.

She found a pen and paper and wrote out "Compliments of your friendly neighborhood assassin." she stuck it on Impa's forehead. She snuck out of the village and headed back to Termina. But one thing that Impa said stuck with her the entire way. 'they wouldn't hurt if they spoke the truth.'


	7. It's Only Getting Worse

Link and Zelda were shocked and furious at what they were told. The infamous assassin had struck again. But this time, the victims were someone who they both considered family. Impa and Darunia.

Zelda was stricken with grief. The woman who had practically raised her and her good friend were dead. Link was also in mourning. He thought of Darunia as his 'big brother'. their sons were attached to both of them as well and were saddened by their death.

Link was in the war room with general Meiffert and a few other officers. Unlike Termina's war room, Hyrule's was a building not a tent. "This killing has got to stop. When I get my hands on that assassin…" Link was fuming.

"It should stop soon your highness. We've killed most of Termina's officers and generals." Meiffert said.

Link calmed a bit. "Well that's good news. But I thought that plan would be impossible. Who finished it, anyway?"

"One of our young assassins, sire. He's quite impressive. His name is Addryan, he should be hear soon."

Addryan walked into the room. "Is this the boy we have to thank for his hard work?"

Addryan saluted, "Yes, sir." he said.

"You should be proud of yourself. You've saved Hylian lives." Link thanked him. "So…" Link said, changing the subject. "Is their a special someone for Hyrule's new hero?"

Addryan blushed. "Kinda."

Link and general Meiffert noticed his blushing and decided to mess with the boy a little more. "C'mon we need details. Is she pretty?" Meiffert asked.

"yeah." Addryan replied meekly.

"What does she look like?" they pressured.

"She has beautiful silver hair and eyes, and the most perfect smile. She likes everything that I do. She just wonderful." he said with a smile.

Finally the men decided to leave him alone. "Addryan, you have another mission." Meiffert began. "Our spies have informed us of the whereabouts of that wretched Termian assassin. That Maximus fellow."

"You found him!" Link and Addryan said in unison.

The general continued. "Yes we have. A Termian captive of ours told us that he sits in the garden of Ganondorf's castle in the evening and draws. He's always the only one there."

"I'll bring you his head." Addryan said.

"Try not to. I want him alive and punished for his crimes." Link said.

"Will do." Addryan left the room.

Link couldn't help but remember what Addryan said about his girlfriend. "silver hair and eyes." he thought. "It couldn't be." Link concluded.

------------------------------------------

Maximus had retuned to Termina and was now in Ganondorf's study with Shitsuya. He summoned them both minutes after she arrived. The room was filled the books on all kinds of magic. Their was a large, open, old book on his desk.

Ganondorf paced around the room. He turned to Shitsuya, "Why are all of my generals dead!?" he screamed. "You were demoted for your incompetence earlier this week, now you will be demoted again. PERMANENTLY!" Shitsuya said nothing.

Ganondorf looked at Maximus. "You are my slave. Slaves have jobs, and your job does not involve kissing random boys while on duty. I know what you are up to when you leave on a mission. I have eyes everywhere." Maximus turned away. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He screamed.

Ganondorf punched her in her jaw. She displayed no emotion but he knew that the pain was excruciating. He looked at Maximus again. "I have sent a decoy out to the Hylians. They think they have beaten me, but I have not lost. The information from the 'captive' that they have has just led them to their doom. He has told them of your whereabouts and they will send their best assassin to kill you. But when they only find a girl, they will think it was false information and put their guard down which will allow to kill the man who murdered my officers."

Shitsuya walked towards Ganondorf's desk and took a seat in his chair. "What are you doing!? Get out of my chair!." Ganondorf said.

"I'm taking what's mine." Shitsuya said. Now was the time. "Maximus…" she swung her blade in an arc and lopped his head off. Ganondorf never saw it coming.

"Not what we practiced but good enough." Shitsuya said. "Guards!" three surprised and terrified men entered. "Send his head to the Hylians. Tell them that Termina is just rising."

A smile spread across Maximus face. "I'm free! I'm free!" she yelled blissfully.

"I understand that your happy but, you do have to carry out that mission." Shitsuya said calmly.

"I don't care what I have to do as long as _he's_ dead." she said joyfully then left.

"Guards!" Shitsuya called. Different guards entered. "After she kills that man, kill her." they saluted him then walked away.

----------------------------------------

Hours later, Addryan was in Termina and inside the castles garden. He walked around saw a figure on a bench. He quietly moved closer and couldn't believe his eyes. It was Maximus sitting on a bench with a pencil and sheet of paper. He slowly rose and walked towards her.

"What are you doing here? It's dangerous." she said.

"I'm looking for someone in Termina. But what are _you_ doing here? There's a dangerous man somewhere around here." he replied.

Maximus looked worried, she started to sweat. She turned to him. "if I asked you something would you answer me truthfully?"

"Yeah, of course." he said.

"Does the man your looking for have my name?"

"yes."

"Are you an assassin?"

Addryan looked at her uneasily but finally nodded in reply. Maximus took his hand. "I'm the one that you want." she whispered in his ear.

He couldn't believe that the girl who he had just fallen for was a brutal and deadly assassin, and that he was assigned to capture her. He felt like his heart was just chewed up and spat out.

------------------------------------------

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Shock and hurt filled both of their eyes. "I won't hurt you." they said in unison.

"Let's leave." Maximus said. "let's run away together. I've got plenty of money."

"Me too. We could go to…" Addryan remembered that Hyrule was the last place standing against Termina. "I guess that there isn't any place we could go." he thought again. "Why don't we go to Hyrule? I can say that I killed you, and you can just be a regular person."

Suddenly Maximus didn't feel safe in the garden. "Addryan we should leave. You're in danger right now, I'll give you the details later. The guards will start their rounds soon and I don't want them to see you."

She led them outside of Termina to a small forest. "I can't go to Hyrule. I won't go."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"A lot." she replied.


	8. An Ill Wind

It was now evening and it was getting dark. The forest was remarkably quiet. As Maximus and Addryan walked through the forest, she began explaining everything to him. About how she was abandon then and how Ganondorf and Shitsuya took her in and everything that had happened since.

Addryan turned to her and said, "That doesn't sound like the king and queen. Everyone knows that they love their children."

Maximus started to reply but noticed a light in the distance. Barking could also be faintly heard. She thought that it must be a hunter until she saw the familiar glint of steel.

"Have you seen any animals here?" she asked Addryan.

"No." he looked towards the light. There were more coming behind the behind the first. "that's odd." he said referring to the lights. They continued to walk, but both of them felt that something wasn't right.

Maximus continued their previous conversation, "If they love their children, then why would they abandon me?"

Addryan told her his best reason. "Maybe they were lying to you. Ganondorf has never been honest. He always used lies and tricks to get what he wants. How could you believe what he says?"

The light was getting closer and more were appearing around them. They noticed that there were more dogs, and not only were they barking, they were snarling.

Maximus and Addryan decided to avoid the hunters and their dogs so they sped up. It seemed like the faster they walked towards the exit, the closer the lights became. After a while, they could see that the lights were torches and that the men who held them wore Termian uniforms.

They were surrounded on all sides by snarling dogs and heavily armored men. There had to be at least 50 soldiers and 10 dogs. Maximus was surprised to see them here. "What's your business in this forest?" she asked.

"Murder!" one guard yelled.

A/N, this is were the endings split.

You Finally Made it Home

"What!?" the teenagers screamed. They each drew a sword and a separate weapon. Maximus drew a chain while Addryan drew a mace. The Termian soldiers ran at them with their swords drawn. They outnumbered them, but the teens knew how to fight. Maximus easily cut them down and Addryan broke their lines forcing them to fight separately and exposing their weaknesses.

After what seemed like and eternity of fighting, the few soldiers that were alive ran back and released their dogs. Both teens were wounded but they managed to run for the nearest tree. The forest was young and the surrounding trees weren't that sturdy so they bravely jumped down and ran as fast as they could. The forest offered a bit of cover but the dogs had their scent.

"C'mon! follow me!" Maximus yelled. They ran past a large tree and several smaller ones until they reached a lake. They dove in and stayed under for a while. The dogs came and went and the teens dragged themselves out.

"Shitsuya was the only one who could've sent those troops." Maximus looked into Addryan's blue eyes. "I need answers. I'll go to Hyrule."

"I'll be with you 100 of the way."

She nodded and they departed.

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****

**_Draped in the Flag that You Fell For_**

Both teens drew their weapons. They were outnumbered but heavily armed. The soldiers released their dogs and attacked the both of them. Maximus and Addryan fought hard but received horrible wounds from the dogs. Some of the surviving troops retreated.

The teenagers slowly made their way out of the forest. They came to a lake and cleaned their wounds. "He tried to kill me!" Maximus fumed. She turned to Addryan. "I'll go to Hyrule and see if what you say is true. I hope your right…"

"I am. The king's really nice guy. You'll like him. C'mon lets go."

_A/N this is part of both stories_.--------------------------------------------------------------

Link and Zelda stood hand in hand in front of a large crowd. There were guards and medics to the side of either of them. Today they were making a speech about their recent discovery. "People of Hyrule," Zelda began. "we are more than happy to inform you that Hyrule has made a big gain in this war." they told them that the assassination attempts would soon stop and that the assassin would be punished for their crimes. The people cheered, they loved their king and queen.

After the speech was over, they went back to the palace where their young sons were waiting to play with them.


	9. Forbearance and Vengance

After they played with their sons for a while, a servant called them and said that a package had arrived. They left to go pick it up. When they opened it, they were more than shocked, they were disturbed. The package contained Ganondorf's severed head and a note that said that Termina was just rising.

"These blade marks are familiar." Link said. He remembered where they were from. "It had to be that assassin. The blood has just dried so it probably happened yesterday."

Zelda was shocked to find such a gruesome thing but also happy because it meant that Ganondorf was dead. But the note that came along with it sent chills up her spine.

"I'm going to see if one of our troops has returned." Link said. He kissed her and walked towards their war room.

---------------------------------------------------------

****

You Finally Made it Home

Maximus and Addryan had arrived in Hyrule an hour ago and were on their way to the barracks to get cleaned up. It was getting quite dark. Addryan could see Link walking towards the war room in the distance. He told Maximus that they should get cleaned off and then she should go talk with him.

They cleaned up and he led her to the war room. Link greeted Addryan happily and asked him where his target was. Addryan looked at Maximus and then looked back at Link.

"Is something wrong?" Link asked.

"I don't know how to say this but…"

"I'm his target." Maximus spoke up. She glared at Link.

Link smiled. "You're his girlfriend? You're the girl he was swooning for yesterday?" he couldn't help but stare at her silver hair and eyes.

Maximus blushed and grinned. "Yes I'm his girlfriend," her expression changed. "But I'm also his target…," she looked Link in the eyes. "…and your daughter." Addryan decided that they needed to be alone so he left the room.

"I'm afraid your mistaken young lady, my daughter was taken years ago." Link said.

"By two men named Ganondorf and Shitsuya, right?" Link nodded. "She would be 15" Link nodded again, he was surprised that she knew so much.

Maximus looked at him, her face showed no emotion. "My name is Maximus. I was Ganondorf's head assassin. I am responsible for nearly every assassination that has occurred within the last decade. Have you received a package yet?"

Link replied that he had. "I was the one who killed Ganondorf. I had to; I wouldn't let him hit me again."

Link was horrified to find out that his child had killed so many people including some of his friends. "Why did you come here? If you were able to kill so many people, then why didn't you attack Addryan?"

"Because… I love him. He's the only person who enjoys the same things that I do. He's nice to me. He spared my life, I couldn't hurt him." Maximus said.

Link saw that Maximus had a familiar look in her eyes. It was the look that Zelda gave him when she told him that she loved him. "Come with me." he said. Link led her out of the war room. They told Addryan that he should rest and that they would be a while.

Link led her to his and Zelda's room. He asked a servant to get his wife. When she arrived, Link told her everything, and Zelda, like Link, was shocked.

Maximus could see that Zelda and Link felt a little uneasy about her being an armed, deadly assassin so she stood, turned and removed her shirt and pants. Her body was coved with blades, ropes, poles, and many different kinds of weapons. She carefully removed them all, and put her clothes back on. The floor now contained well over 100 different weapons. She pushed them towards Link and Zelda and said, "I'm here to talk not to fight."

She told them about her life under Ganondorf, meeting Addryan, and earlier tonight. They weren't as angry at her as she thought they might be but they were furious at Ganondorf for taking her and raising her to be a killing machine, and at Shitsuya for trying to kill her.

They sent for Addryan and told them both that they would be staying in the palace. They both declined but Link and Zelda insisted. Reluctantly they agreed. The teens retired for the night.

Link and Zelda stayed up though. Zelda had a worried look on her face. "Link, the punishment for assassination is murder. How can we sentence our daughter to death?"

Link also had a worried expression. "Well it wasn't completely her fault but still… we'll think of something."

------------------------------------------------

**__**

Draped in the Flag that You Fell For

It was very dark and Maximus and Addryan were seriously injured. They slowly made their way to Hyrule and headed for the medic.

The workers alerted Link and Zelda of Addryan's arrival. Link had previously told everyone that the person who Addryan was to bring back was a prisoner and was to be thrown in the dungeon immediately. Minutes after they arrived, Maximus was swiftly carried away by two very big soldiers. Addryan told them that she wasn't a prisoner but they didn't listen and followed Link's orders.

Maximus tried to release herself from the soldiers grip, but she had lost too much blood and was unable to move. He struggled to get free to help her but he too had lost a lot of blood and the medics had to sedate him to treat his injuries.

She was thrown in the worst cell that the castle had. Her back and head slammed into the wall causing her to wince in pain. It was so small that she couldn't stand and it smelled of death and sweat. The walls were wet and cold and the floor had four skeletons.

"He's a really nice guy indeed," Maximus thought sarcastically about Link. Her wounds still bled but not as much as earlier.

She sat quietly in her small cell until someone opened the door. "What do you want for your last meal?" they barked.

She already knew that they were going to execute her, but she didn't think that it would be tomorrow. "I don't want a last meal. I want a comic book. _'Tales of a princess'_." she said calmly.

They slammed the door closed and walked off. Maximus fell asleep.


	10. And So It Goes

**__**

You Finally Made it Home

Link and Zelda had come up with a way not to have their daughter executed while at the same time getting help to win the war. Maximus was to help Hyrule's generals come up with a strategy to defeat Termina. She also had to do 100 hours of community service.

She accepted the terms and told them all of Shitsuya's military secrets. She wanted to kill Shitsuya. She had never felt so betrayed in all of her life.

Link and Zelda introduced Maximus to their two sons, her brothers. The oldest was a few years younger than her and named Clint and the youngest was named Philip. They were surprised to see her but were courteous.

After having breakfast, Maximus and Addryan walked to the war room. They met general Meiffert inside and greeted them both. "So you're the daughter of the king and queen? Well, I can say that you certainly have your mother's beauty."

Maximus thanked him for the compliment. "General, Shitsuya's defenses are very weak. The only reason that he can compete with you is because of the size of his force. He has to send wave after wave of troops just to win one victory."

"What do you suggest that we do?" Addryan asked.

"Destroy all of his supplies, salt Termina's fields, destroy his recruitment locations. If you can stop his flow of troops, then you've stopped him."

"Anything that will end the war faster?" General Meiffert asked.

"You could kill Shitsuya. He'd have no one to lead his army so Termina wouldn't be a threat any more." she replied.

General Meiffert considered her answer very carefully. "How would any one be able to get in?"

"I know every entrance, exit, passage, and room in that palace. Let me go. I want to kill him. He'll pay for his betrayal." Maximus said.

Addryan looked at Maximus, "I won't let you go alone. It's too dangerous."

"No, I have to. They'll be patrolling the area and if they see you, your toast."

The general agreed that it was too much of a risk and that the king and queen wouldn't approve of it. A thought struck her. She asked the general if he could convince the queen to drop her sentence of community service and in return, she was to say that she left on her own and that it was not the fault of anyone but her. He agreed and finally let her go.

She left that night. She rode into Termina then walked towards the palace. She donned a cloak that was provided by the general and hid in the bushes until midnight. She noticed that security at the palace had quadrupled since the past day. It was going to make things harder but she knew that she would still be able to accomplish her mission.

She came out of the bushes, and took to the shadows. She walked around the building and climbed through a low window. She was in the servants quarters now. They were all asleep in their beds except for one who was probably in the bathroom.

She quietly snuck out the room and headed towards the stairs. They were servant's stairs so she knew they would creak if she walked on them so Maximus walked on the strong railing instead. She was now on the man floor. It was entirely empty so she climbed the stone stairs that led to another floor which led to Shitsuya's quarters.

Once there, she entered her old room which was down the hall and empty. She opened the window and climbed out. She went down the windows until she got to Ganondorf's old room which she knew Shitsuya was occupying. She slipped in.

He slept with his mouth open and snored. Maximus walked to a nearby table and grabbed some herbs from it. Ganondorf was an insomniac but Shitsuya wasn't. He hadn't been in this room long enough to remove the contents of it. She dissolved the herbs, and slowly dripped drop after drop of it in Shitsuya's mouth. He guaranteed to stay asleep now.

She carefully lifted him to the window and dropped him out of it. He hit the ground head first and didn't move. She dragged his body towards the kennel and opened the gate. The dogs never stopped barking so it wasn't a sound that was unusual.

The dogs were trained to obey Ganondorf and their masters. She opened the cage of Ganondorf favorite dog and threw Shitsuya in. The dog tore his dead body into shreds. After a while, Maximus removed what was left of his body and took his head.

She escape from the palace and made it back into Hyrule. She knocked on the door of the king and queen and when they sleepily answered for her to come in, she casually presented Shitsuya's head and said that she would be going to sleep for the night.

The next day, a celebration was held in honor of the end of the war and their daughters return. Instead of attending, Maximus and Addryan went to the comic store where first met, bought some comics, and just enjoyed the beautiful day.

end

-------------------------------------------------

**__**

Draped in the Flag that You Fell For

It was now morning and a crowd had gathered outside. The stage was set and the executioner was waiting. Someone had placed a head covering and bound her hands together with ropes while she was sleeping. The covering was to reduce the blood shed when head was cut off and the ropes were to limit her movement. She could see through the small eye holes in the covering.

The dungeon guards dragged her out of her small cell. She had some energy but not a lot. She was saving it just incase she got a chance to escape. Her injuries from the previous day still hurt and bled when she was yanked from the cramped cell.

"I hope you rot for you crimes!" one guard said.

"I wish I could choose your method of execution." one began. "I would slice you open and watch you bleed!" they both laughed.

"Wasn't that the same thing I did to your father?" Maximus taunted through the covering. She could see that he was fuming and he jerked her arm causing waves of pain to course through her.

"I don't understand how you could hurt that poor boy so bad. He's in the medic fighting for his life now because of you!" the first guards said.

After hearing about Addryan's condition, Maximus was more than worried. She had to see him one last time.

They were now outside. A large man wearing a hood was turned towards her. She could see the stage was wide and open. A large crowd hurled insults at her. The hooded man grabbed a sheet of parchment and read from it. It listed all the crimes that she had been accused of. It was quite a list and took a while for him to finish.

When he did, the guards shoved her on a table so that her head was facing the sky. The hooded man grabbed an axe. The guards backed away and the executioner raised his axe. This was her chance; it was just her and the executioner. He swung the axe and with all of the energy she had, she forced herself to slid across the table right as the executioners axe hit. Instead of getting his mark, he got the ropes the bound her.

As soon as the executioner noticed, he began to swing the axe at her. Her wildly waved it but it never made contact. She was just to fast. She scrambled to her feet and was met the guards that dragged her to the stage. They were holding swords and axes also but she ran instead of confronting them.

As she left the stage, the crowd broke into an uproar and more guards appeared. She was weak, but she was fast and she easily maneuvered her way through the crowd. More guards were chasing her now and she sped down an empty street. Her wounds stung with each step she took, but she forced herself on. She was losing them now so she ran down an alley to catch her breath.

She knew that she was making a bold move so she took of the covering and worked her way into the crowd. No one had seen her face but the guards and they were nowhere in sight. She casually walked towards the army's medic building. She asked a worker where she could find Addryan and went to his room.

He was as pale as a ghost and unconscious. There was a red spot on his sheet. She felt terrible. He didn't have to protect her, but she was glad that he cared and that he was alive. That was all that mattered. She kissed his cheek. "I guess we weren't meant to be together." she said sadly. "I love you." she kissed him again, this time on his lips. She walked out.

Her head was down as she left the room and she bumped into someone. She looked up and was shocked at the sight and also angry to find who it was. It was Link and Zelda. "Excuse me," she said. Her face showed no emotion.

"Oh, are you a friend of his?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah." Maximus quickly replied. They were staring at her hair and eyes. She looked down again.

They were very friendly and somehow managed to get her in a conversation. She unwillingly participated and answered all of their questions. They mentioned that they didn't want to see a person die, even the person who had killed their friends and family, so they didn't go to the execution. Maximus replied that she had just left. They also mentioned that they were concerned about Addryan so they came to visit him. Maximus told him that he was unconscious.

After their conversation, she quickly exited the building. She was tired but she had to do this. Shitsuya had to die. He hurt the one person she had ever really had feelings for. He had to pay.

She rode to Termina. It was now midday and the sun was very bright. Shitsuya would be in the garden having lunch now she thought. She distracted the guards and ran into the garden. She saw Shitsuya eating and reading. She had no weapons, but she didn't need them. She quietly positioned herself behind him. She quickly grabbed his neck and head and pulled in opposite directions. She heard a very loud 'pop' and Shitsuya went limp.

Maximus decided to try to see Addryan one last time. She headed towards Hyrule.

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As Link and Zelda were leaving the medic room, two soldiers ran towards him. "Your majesty! The prisoner has escaped! They're somewhere in the city!"

"What!?" they yelled in unison. "What does he look like?!" Link asked.

"It's was a girl. She had silver hair and eyes. And she's very fast and she's wounded so she couldn't have gotten very far."

"Silver hair and eyes? I'll get her!" Link said, then he ran to get his weapons.

"Link, be careful." Zelda yelled after him.

After retrieving his weapons, Link set off to find the escaped prisoner. Some citizens told him that they had seen someone head out of Hyrule. Link knew that they were headed towards Termina. He walked in the woods for a while then took a break. His weapons were heavy and he needed a rest.

After a while, he heard someone coming his way. It was a girl, and she was bleeding, but most importantly, she had silver hair and eyes. It had to be his assassin. Link grabbed his bow. He took aim, but felt that he was making a mistake. Regardless, he shot an arrow. It went straight through her heart. She grunted, and then fell.

He walked over to her body and made sure that she was dead. When he saw that she was, he picked her up and carried her back to Hyrule.

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General Meiffert came to the palace medic to visit Addryan. When he entered the room, he found the boy awake. He walked over to him and told him to lie down and to take it easy. The boy struggled to talk. "Don't hurt her. She's… she's their daughter." Addryan said through ragged gasps.

"Who's their daughter?" the general asked?

"The girl I was with… Shitsuya tried… to kill her… I told her she would be safe…here…I … love… her…" his eyes closed and he went limp. The general checked Addryan's vitals. He was dead.

He drew the sheet over his head and exited. Addryan was more than a soldier. He was a friend.

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When Link returned, he sat the body of the assassin at the entrance of the medic room and went to check on Addryan. The general was there as was Zelda and few other troops. They all had solemn looks on their faces. Link knew the worst had happened.

"He was a good guy. He didn't deserve to die at the hands of some wretch! I'm glad I got her." he said.

Zelda and the general looked at him with horrified eyes. She took his hand and led him into a separate room. "Link, please tell me that you didn't kill that prisoner." Zelda said.

"Well of course I did." Link said.

Zelda began to cry. "That was our daughter." she said through sobs.

"What?" Link felt as if his heart had been trampled on. He took a seat and sobbed angrily at what he had done.

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As he watched them lower their bodies, Link couldn't help but feel remorse for everyone. His wife never got a chance to have the daughter that she wanted, Addryan never got a chance to be with the girl that the loved, and his daughter never got a chance to be truly happy.

The one good thing that came from all of this was Shitsuya's death. Shitsuya's army dissolved instantly after they discovered his body. He silently thanked his daughter for her deed. Despite all of the things that she had done, he knew that the goddesses offered rest for the weary and that they would let her into the sacred realm.

end


End file.
